Sacrifice
by Rihannon
Summary: A few short stories dedicated to the tragic characters, the ones I'm so deeply fond of. Part 4 up: Marin talks to Aioria in her dreams, or maybe she's not dreaming? What matters is what he has to say. Mild violence and language, rated T just to be safe.
1. Vanity

This is a small tribute to the selflessness of human spirit, to love beyond the human condition, to the courage required to br

This is a small tribute to the selflessness of human spirit, to love beyond the human condition, to the courage required to break up the attachment to earthly things.

A few short stories dedicated to the tragic characters, the ones I'm so deeply fond of.

**SACRIFICE**

It is time for peace. Shaina's feelings are split between her devotion to the Goddess Athena and her love for Seiya. Maybe is time for her to acknowledge herself… a bit.

Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya, nor have I any rights over it. It belongs to Kurumada Sensei (thank you for being so kind and sharing your talent with this fantasy-thirsty world), Shueisha, Toei, and whoever else.

I do, though, hold a certain obsession towards some manga/anime creations, SS included.

**1. Vanity **

The morning light announces the beginning of the day as it breaks through the window, and shatters her sleep.

_It's been three… Five? No… Gods. It must be almost ten years__ since Athena spoke her last command. Back then, her words were confusing…disturbing…or at least incomprehensible. She gave up her beloved Saints, her devoted champions. She set them free, but they never knew her reasons for retiring from mundane affairs. _

_Now t__here's nothing left but the bittersweet taste of her words, mingled with salty tears._

She knows she'll be waking up alone. The other side of her bed is empty, and it's been so for a couple of hours. Every day she wakes with only a slight hope… maybe this will be the day, maybe he will ask her to join his daily wait for the dawn.

He… he won't dare disturb her sleep. She might be awake, but she will pretend to be sleeping, wishing him to stay. She's been going to sleep with him for years now, but always wakes alone.

She won't open her eyes yet. She moves her face close to his pillow, then breathes. Her body is shivering and her heart is swollen with longing and joy. The scent fills her, slowly, numbing her senses. She longs for this sensation… it keeps her alive, sane…with just a bit of hope.

"Hope. What for?"

"Couldn't care less…"

She squeezes the pillow, laughing.

"So what if the dawn is meant for her?" She thinks. "At night… he is mine. So are his tears and his laughter. She is the one he loves the most, but I'm his solace. He may go out and look for her, but he will come back to me… I'm the one who waits for him."

Her own thoughts are frightening, she realizes… She gasps, reprimanding herself. How dare she consider such a thing? SHE is her Goddess too… The one she's supposed to love, to give her life for!

x x x x x

Some nights she wakes up in anxiety, the cold sweat running down her forehead.

"SEI…!"

_The scream __choked inside her throat is the same scream from all the times she feared losing him for ever. Of every time she sensed his cosmo vanishing, in countless battles, and she felt her heart agonize, shattered in painful impotence… and loss. _

She is breathing restlessly… "Ahhh!... Ahhh…" It takes some effort to get her breath back to normal. Her heart beats so hard that it hurts.

"Shhhh… it's over." He whispers, his soft voice at her side. He embraces her, kisses her forehead. "Here I am," he mumbles, "In't going nowhere. Who could be so foolish to get away from this lovely face?" He strokes her cheek while resting his forehead on hers. She closes her eyes, feels his breath, and cuddles into the spot between his neck and shoulder.

_He is her entire life_.

And the dream goes on…

The cosmo stopped fading, now is rising and growing, and glows with such intensity… no one believed it possible. Everything is done for Her, for the Goddess. It's her cosmo that fuses with his, and with the cosmo of each of his brothers.

_And th__us all of them, the heroes, the Saints of Athena, are the ones who can taste the victory. Sad and sweet victory…it also has the sickening tang of spilt blood. It's the Saint's blood, and his enemy's, and Athena's. They all sacrificed so much for the welfare of humankind. And humankind does not know them, or love them; but the saints don't care, for they have the love of their Goddess… the one thing they have for sure. _

_And now… what? Athena won't listen to them, she won't even see them. All of them would obey, but there's one who will never acknowledge her command…_

He caresses her hair, whispers a song made of unintelligible words. She falls into the deepest dream, deliciously narcotized by his voice and his scent, and his cosmo so loving and kind.

x x x x x

She opens her eyes, slowly. The light hurts a little. She wakes up; washes her face with cold water and looks at her own image reflected in the mirror. Not a child anymore, yet she was a child the first time she confessed her love for him.

_No…Back then… she was not a ch__ild. She was a woman, hard-hearted and full of scars. Painful, invisible scars… painfully invisible scars, hidden behind the freshness of her adolescent body. Back then... she felt tired, old… and cracked. _

But her reflection shows a very different thing. The face she sees in the mirror is the same he often praises. This face is her vanity, the one she gave up and buried under a mask. But despite her efforts, vanity came back to life. Came back and brought with it the needful punishment for its despising: brought a feeling that devours her from inside, a feeling she cannot live without… anymore.

_And after all, the yearning __became reality… she was in his arms, so close to this same body she silently admired time after time. He was burning in unrestrained passion, in desperate need to find the relief to his pain. And he knew she loved him beyond any restriction. She would give everything for him, she would die for him… living for him was not a heavy burden. She offered to him all she had: her life, her death, her soul and body. Everything was worth sacrificing to comfort him, to take away the painful stare from the eyes she loved so dearly. _

Today she is wearing a white dress. He gave it to her, no special occasion. The garment is light and fresh, just like the ones worn by the young Sicilian girls when they walk the beaches, making Greek sailors sigh. She knows that none of these girls can compare to her. She knows that no man in this land wouldn't proclaim her beauty… and in this dress! Not even _he_ could deny her anything her heart desires.

But she could not demand a thing from him. Perhaps she would look for him, like she did in the past, at least when she felt strong enough. She knows where to find him. She could go to his side and ask his permission to sit with him, facing the sun as it rises from the sea waves.

x x x x x

Before the mirror… again.

Vanity… when did it come back? It came back, craving for lost time. She gathers her hair with a couple of white flowers. The sight before her is one of a fresh young woman. She has an upsetting need to deny her own reflection; it just doesn't seem to be right...

And suddenly, she realizes. She has changed; at least something inside her has. For the first time since she can remember, she doesn't feel old. Instead, she's like a young girl: fragile, vulnerable, full of illusions…

"Aaaah!!" She roars, filled by frustration. She falls on her knees, her eyes watering, her face hidden behind her hands.

_She struggled so much, suffered so much! She prayed to the Goddess __to help her be strong, and she thought she finally was… _

There was a time when she was the most feared, the most hated, the most desired… the strongest woman ever. And her strength happened to be so fragile! It took a single smile to break it down.

Her forehead is pressed against the floor, her body curled tight, wishing to be the smallest thing possible, small enough to feel nothing, to fear nothing. She stays still, doesn't know how long. Tears wear out… without their weight her body is lighter than before.

The pain is dissipating slowly; she recognizes the warm aura surrounding her… Is She… the Goddess? Only her cosmo can be so caring… reaching her very soul, giving her warmth, soothing her.

"What now?"

She gets herself together, wipes her eyes with her thumbs, breathes deep… and thinks. "What good comes from being tough?" Nothing… anymore. At least not the same as she used to be. Now the Goddess demands a different kind of strength.

_There's no need to fight__ since…_

_It's been many years now._

The Goddess has begged them to go on with their lives, to be happy and enjoy the peace they earned after so many battles… for they never know how long this peace will last.

_Peace can be dreary, if you don't know how to live__ with it…_

She walks out, but she's not looking for him. She walks towards the Sanctuary, calmly, her soul light and a smile shining in her face. Her sandals move as if they carry no weight. Athena is waiting for her, she knows… she can feel Her. This time the Goddess is not asking for any sacrifice, but she will bring it willingly. And this time the sacrifice is not blood, death or pain... for these don't please the Goddess.

Today, despite her human imperfection, she is capable of immolating her Ego and her attachment to things that are no more, or never were… that don't belong to her. At least for today, she will accept what Athena intends for her… whatever it is.

At least for today… she doesn't care.

A/N: Thank you very much for reading. I hope you guys liked this small mumbling from my head. Please review, any comment or critique will be highly appreciated.


	2. Wrath

Life for Shun has turned upside down since Athena's retirement, and it is not getting easier…

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Saint Seiya, only maybe a certain obsession, and I make no money off this. Nor do I own Shun… but in my wildest dreams… and even then I cannot keep myself from making him suffer. It's just about my mind's babbling, anyway.

Ah… but if an original character appears in the following, mine it is.

**2. ****Wrath**

The heart of a young man leaped as he walked among ageless trees, and now more than ever, for the spring was beginning its yearly passage. These trees were beautiful, great, solid. They'd seen so many lifetimes along their existence, and were always strong, no matter what happened in their surroundings. Somehow he envied them.

He barely represented his age. Though he maybe was twenty-four, his face was a bit childish and his delicate features made him almost woman-like. His hair was rather long and messy, bronze-colored with an awkward shade that made it virtually green. A small young person was carried in his strong, however slim, pale arms. She was wrapped closely in his cloak, almost asleep and oblivious to the cutting chill of the wind. He walked smoothly, staring at his treasured burden with his dazzling deep-green eyes.

After a while he caught sight of a small wooden house in the middle of the untouched Siberian forest, the one he was looking for. He walked on, steadily. His heart longed to be there.

He came finally to the portico of the cabin, where a tall and slender blond man was standing. Clothed in tight slacks and a sleeveless top, the blond didn't seem to mind the cold as his back leaned against the door's frame. His arms were crossed over his chest; his attitude was of one who has been waiting for a while. "About time," the tall man remarked with a mocking smirk, "I sensed your cosmo since this morning. What in the cold depths of hell took you so long?"

"Oh… Good to see you, too," the younger man said with a sad yet sweet smile in his face, as he lowered the child with extreme gentleness. "Now Helena, say hello to Uncle Hyoga". The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes, green as the father's, and brushed away her slightly overgrown yellow-blond bangs. She aimed her gaze at the tall man, gave a tiny shriek, and ran to hide behind her father's leg.

"Hey! Are you afraid of me?" he said, while thinking '_Shun's spawn, after all._' He bent and kneeled so he was at her same height. "I'm not that ugly, am I?" The little girl giggled a little, sneaking close to the big violet-blue orbs that were staring at her. "Hello," she said, then she squealed again and ran back to hide.

"Oh… I see…" Hyoga smirked, "so this is your game…" He crawled around Shun chasing the little girl. He grabbed her quickly and lifted her, then spun the giggling and shrieking youngster. When he stopped he found before his face the one of a blushing angel, glancing at him. "I love you, Uncle Hyoga!" the little one yelled, while she squeezed his neck with her tiny limbs.

"Such a coy little brat you are!" He said playfully to the girl. "I thought you didn't remember me," then he shifted his gaze to the father.

The younger man smiled sadly. "She remembers everything… always. I wish she didn't, though," he whispered.

* * * * *

Shun sat in a wooden arm chair, cradling his daughter. He hummed softly, some silly tune, until sure that sleep had taken her completely. Hyoga watched his sibling in amused silence, the sweetest and most selfless person he ever knew, the closest friend he ever had. He watched him stare at his only offspring with so much intensity and adoration, his eyes lost to the sight of his small blond beauty. He almost felt jealous of both of them, of their mutual capability to experience an entirely naïve love.

The younger man rose to put the little girl down, to her complaint, in his brother's bed. Then he sat at her side and stroked her hair until she was peaceful again, and covered her snugly. He gazed silently at Hyoga, the sad smile never seeming to leave his face.

"Have a drink with me," Hyoga produced a bottle of vodka and a couple of mugs.

"Sure," the green-haired boy answered, "I guess I could use a nip right now."

They sat at a small round table. Hyoga handed a maybe too-full serving to Shun, who drank it down without breathing, like he would drink plain water. Hyoga raised an eyebrow and waited for his brother to say something, which didn't happen. "It's nice to have you here. It gets pretty boring sometimes, if you ask me," the blond man started in a serious attempt to break the silence.

"Oh… do you feel lonely?" The other asked with genuine concern, but kept staring at the bottom of his mug.

"I like loneliness… most of the time. Besides, I'm not always alone; you know what I mean…" The blond smirked huskily.

"Yeah, I bet… you're a lady's man, nothing to argue about. Even my four-year-old has a crush on you." Shun raised his stare towards the other, but kept his head down.

"She does, uh? Well, then she's certainly the prettiest of my admirers… Too bad she's so young," Hyoga laughed at his own wittiness.

"Hey! Don't forget she's also your own blood, brother." Shun narrowed his eyes in a 'it's my child we're talking about' fashion, but a hint of a smile slipped in the edge of his mouth despite the harshness of the other's sense of humor. He knew Hyoga well, always trying to appear ruthless and cold, the opposite of himself. Maybe that is why one felt comfortable with the other. For sure, he knew there was none other he could trust now. He breathed deep, as anticipating something deadly serious. "And about that… I need to ask you for something."

"Of course… You know I would do anything for you, " Hyoga said, trying to hide the concern that haunted him since he knew about Shun's visit. "Tell me."

"It is.... well…" Shun started, "It's that… if something happened… to me…"

Hyoga raised his eyebrow again. "Yes?" he urged Shun to continue.

"I need to know that Helena is going to be taken care of. If I'm certain that you will be there… for her… then I'll be at peace."

Hyoga, short of words, remained silent for a moment. "So, that's it," another uncomfortable moment of silence followed. "Listen, you know I do care for the child, but I don't think I'm the best…"

"You are," Shun said, "and there's no one else… trust me." He lifted his face, now wearing his sheepish smile, "Besides, it's just in case…"

The blond man looked intensely into the deep, dark eyes. He considered Shun's choices: Ikki was nowhere to be seen, Seiya had worries of his own and hardly kept sane himself, and Shiryu had his family to take care of. There was Shaina, of course, but Shun steered away from the whole responsibility of involving someone not blood-related, if he could. He was too polite. "Of course, Shun. I'm in." He finally said, and expelled his breath heavily. "Gods! You got me scared for a second!"

"Sorry about that," Shun smiled timidly, "but I must confess I'm kind of scared myself," saying this, a dark shadow crept over his features.

"Kind of scared?" Hyoga asked in obvious disbelief. The confirmation of his fear fell harshly over him. He was right: there was not 'just in case', but 'what may come'. And then, what would happen to little Helena? Lovely, innocent Helena had him wrapped around her tiny finger since the day she was born, even when he would never acknowledge this publicly. He loved them both, father and child, he would give his life to save them from suffering. Now he saw torment coming at them like a giant snowball, and he couldn't think of anything to avert it.

"Hm," Shun chuckled sarcastically, "I can't fool you, can I…? You're right, brother; I'm more scared than I'd ever been in my entire life."

"Oh, Shun…" Hyoga sighed. His own approach to life was usually careless, but the well-being of his brothers never ceased to be his concern. And when it was about Shun… "If it's about you, I suppose I should be scared as well."

Shun lowered his stare into the mug again, moving it in circles and making the drops at the bottom swirl around. He didn't know how to begin; he wished he didn't have to.

"I… it all started when… that thing… happened," he turned his head towards the child, just to check if her sleep was still deep and peaceful, and kept his voice as low as he could, yet allowing Hyoga to hear. He was having a hard time finding the words, so they came out at a painfully slow pace. "I was so… angry. I couldn't think straight… my sight was clouded, and my blood was boiling. But I felt cold, cold as death. It was like… being him… again."

Hyoga lifted his sight towards a big crucifix in the opposite wall 'G_ood man, I think I could use your help this time._' He rose from the table, aiming at the door. "Let's go outside."

* * * * *

Shun beheld the landscape before him. This was Hyoga's domain, ice-cold blue that resembled his gaze. It was like looking directly at his soul: still and unfriendly at first sight, but under the warm rays of the sun it glowed with a diamond's purity. Alas, being away from the people's world was not so comforting at this time. The green-haired man's mind was filled with many different kinds of hesitation. "Maybe we should go back. What if she wakes and I'm not there?"

"She'll be ok," the blond man tried his best to play the self-confident guy. "She was so tired, the poor thing. I bet she'll be sleeping 'till morning. Besides, Natasha is looking after her, and she's really good with children."

"She seems to be a really nice girl," Shun smiled at his brother, "and a lovely one, too."

"Well, yeah…" Hyoga was not pleased with whatever he should face in next to no time, and Shun wasn't making it easier. "I think we're done with the small talk, bro, now… what we are here for. Show me."

Shun sighed heavily. He really didn't want to do as Hyoga asked. "Listen… I don't think this is a good idea. If you just believed me…"

"I do. But how can I know what we are about to deal with, if I have not seen…" Hyoga said, and then smirked his tough-chap way. "I'm not scared of you, you know." Then he narrowed his gaze as he spoke coldly. "It's time."

Shun chuckled, his sweet smile warmed upon his brother. "I wish I were that confident." After a lifetime of being afraid of his own might, this was the first time he was failing to control it. For the first time he felt he was giving away his will. He decided his brother was right, he decided it was time to face the demon. Shun spoke with his sight fixed on the ground; his voice could barely be heard. "I'm losing to it, Hyoga, it's taking over…"

'_So, he's finally giving in_.' "What is it, Shun, what's taking over?" Hyoga whispered.

"Wrath."

Wrath. He never thought that could happen… not to his peaceful, dear sweet Shun. The little one, the kindest child… Why him, of all the people on Earth? Was he the only one capable of handling this business? The spotlessness of his heart became the cause of his horrible punishment. His constellation was signed by sacrifice, and it seemed that it would haunt him forever. '_Some justice, that of the Gods.'_

Hyoga dared to ask the question to which he already knew the answer, but had to be said. He had to find the way to trigger the infamous anger.

"Why?"

Shun couldn't raise his stare from the floor, not with the words he was about to say. "It is that… I cannot even say her name anymore. I cannot think of her, or of what they did to her." Finally his teary eyes found their way to Hyoga's. "It's way too difficult, and I can't stand it". Shun's cosmo started to flare, his eyes flashed in darker shades. "If I… lose my concentration, if I… let myself… just for a mere second… it takes over."

'_C'mon, Shun, I need you to trust me._' "I want you to show me," Hyoga spoke high, directly to his eyes.

"Stop pushing me!" Shun's voice started to change into a deep tone. "DO NOT DARE TO HARASS ME!" he thundered. His hair rose with an explosion of energy, his cosmo glaring in a dark fire.

Hyoga stared stoically at the vision before him. It was true. Suddenly, it was not Shun anymore. It was… someone, or something else. His hair and eyes had a dirt-red coloring, and his gaze was lost to the horizon. It was just like Seiya told them. It was shocking.

"Do you want me to show you?" Shun turned his stare to Hyoga, his words were slowly spoken, in a cruel manner. "Do you want to see what I'm able to do, what I'm willing to do?"

Hyoga remained silent, his cosmo started to flare as the presence of the dark energy reached his space. Shun turned his head towards a series of enormous glaciers, each one massive as a mountain. "I just have to think about something…" he said in a steady voice. He stared at one glacier as it vanished in a blast of purple light that glowed from within the ice. In less than a second it was gone. "… and it's over."

Hyoga's eyes widened as he saw the glaciers disappearing, one by one, at the same time as the transformed Shun talked.

"And so..."

The second glacier glowed and vanished.

"…will be…"

More purple light and a glacier less.

"…the ones that…"

Another…

"…took my woman…"

And… another…

"…from me," Shun said, as the last glacier disappeared.

A pause in his words and his body remained still. He turned back his gaze to Hyoga and continued. "As will be the one that steps in the way of my revenge." A threatening grin twisted his lips.

"Shun…" It was terrible indeed, but it was there and couldn't be denied. It was the incarnation of wrath. Maybe Hades would laugh the last, after all… Maybe he managed to leave part of his dark essence hiding in Shun's soul, waiting for a reason to rise and manipulate his will and power. But it was not the first time they faced a formidable enemy, and there was no force that would make him leave his young brother to suffer this fate alone. Hyoga had to pray so he would do the right thing. He wondered if he could make his brother exorcise the evil from within. He had to make him listen. "I know, and it's fair… now you may… let it go."

"HOW YOU DARE TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" The transformed youth stormed. "Can't you see my power understands no limits? Can't you see that not even the gods can stop me now? You can do nothing to hold me back."

Hold him back… no. '_I want you to lose it, brother, I don't want you to hold it._' "Shun! Listen to me! They are all gone!" Hyoga's cosmo grew as he talked. "You left no one. You have to remember, for God's sake! There's no one you can take revenge on…"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Shun screamed at the top of his lungs. His cosmo blew up in a wave that sucked up the surrounding light, and the sky darkened. The ice under his feet sank from his energy, breaking open a gap in the cracking ice that grew wide from the wrathful young man. "SILENCE! I CAN'T BE STOPPED! YOU BETTER STEP ASIDE, OR I WILL HAVE TO CLEAR YOU AWAY!"

Hyoga stared at Shun's frail-looking body as it steamed furiously, and he could tell it wouldn't last for long. It was consuming him, literally. Despair began to fill Hyoga as he acknowledged his own impotence. Making Shun purge the anger was now out of the question and it would take something bigger than all of them to fight this. If only Athena could be there, she would bring him back. She could heal him. For the moment, Hyoga had to find a way to make the insanity stop.

'_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all… At this rate, he'll be dead soon,' _Hyoga considered, _'Oh Saori, for the sake of… you! Why can't you do something! I don't believe you don't know what's happening here…'_

"Stop wishing for her, Cygnus…" Shun thundered in his deep voice "…she's not coming back, Athena has abandoned us."

"How can you say that?" Hyoga hissed. '_Not like you, Shun…you'd die before speaking blasphemy,' _the tough man felt his heart dropping. '_What did you do to my brother?'_

Shun chuckled viciously, "if she cared for me, she would have me hit with a lightning, long ago…" His voice lowered a little, it was almost like hearing Shun's own voice. "That would help…" He remained silent for a moment, and then he chuckled again. Almost silent at first, but rising until he was laughing dark and cruel. "Now it seems that I have to do it myself!" He mocked, "but first… I'm going to have it my way…"

'_So, this is it. He wants to kill himself.' _Hyoga wondered if, deep inside, the real Shun was fighting his demon identity… '_Yes… that could be. He is going to stop it, the only way the Andromeda Saint knows. This is what it's all about, from the beginning. You had it all planned, didn't you, Shun? You always find the way to amaze us... A little box of surprises, you are. But why…why do you want me as a witness? Or do you expect me to…yeah, that may be…I have no choice but give it a chance, anyway.' _

"Selfish bastard… and a coward… you are not Shun," Hyoga hissed defiantly.

Dark-Shun turned directly towards Hyoga. "How dare you…"

'_What is it you want me to do, Shun… I need to know. Somehow, you have to give me a hint.'_ At least Hyoga had captured Shun's attention. "He'd never even think of leaving his little girl behind, if he could help it." He provoked. "Have you really forgotten?"

"You promised…" Shun whispered as his cosmo lowered for a moment.

"I'm not leaving you, Shun. You have to stop this nonsense or you'll kill us both," Hyoga spoke steadily. Now he understood why Shun needed him, among all the others: he was the Ice Warrior, the one capable of keeping his head cool even if his blood boiled. Now he had to prove his brother right, he had to make himself grow to the height where Shun believed he was.

"You…" The anger rose along with Shun's cosmo, "YOU PROMISED!!!!" Now he was burning with more intensity than before. "Can't you see? You leave me no choice…" He seemed to hold himself for a second, and then he yelled, "NEBULA STREAM!!!"

Hyoga felt his body stiffening as purple streams of energy bent him. He was lashed tight and couldn't move, it was painful and it was draining him. _'So, there's no time to waste,'_ the icy cosmo rose as he concentrated in keeping his energy. "Stop it, Shun! I'm not giving up!" A burst of white light dissolved the streams. Hyoga was panting.

"Stop it yourself! You know you can't beat me!" Shun collected his cosmo and prepared his most terrible attack. "NEBULA STO…"

"AHHHHH!" The white cosmo blazed suddenly, creating a huge aura of glittery light in which Hyoga was now immersed. "That's it!" His cosmo rose even more until the darkness started to dissipate. He breathed deep; his hands were grasped up above his head. _'I'm sorry, Shun!'_ His cavernous shouting made the ice-mountains tremble.

"AURORA… EX-E-CU-TION!!!"

The attack poured over Shun like a mighty wave, spinning him into the merciless blizzard of non-energy that brings 'absolute zero'.

* * * * *

A/N: Well, it certainly doesn't stop here. Please let me know what you think. 


	3. Envy

AN/

Thank you very much for reading, and special thanks to everyone that took the time to write a review. It means a lot to me, and encourages me to write more.

I have not more finished chapters at the moment, and I'm going to be really busy the next month… but don't worry about Shun and Hyoga, I'll go back to them in the future.

Ok, so… Shaina again, but this time in a lighter mood. Hope you enjoy!

Abstract: Unexpected visitors arrive to change Shaina's uneventful evening.

Disclaimer: I own nothing concerning Shaina or the other Saint Seiya characters mentioned in the following, they belong to Kurumada Sensei.

**3. Envy**

_Hot Mediterranean afternoons are better endured on a shady porch_.

I have known that since all my life, but only recently allowed myself to enjoy this earthly pleasure. I guess my list of formerly forbidden -but now habitual- small delights is growing every day. I sigh, secretly, and merely let my mind imagine a smile. My legs are bent together over the seat while I hold my weary book against my knees.

My book: another vain delight.

My dress is a bit too much rolled up over my thighs. I could say I haven't noticed, but the truth is I'm not really concerned. I read, lazily, without paying enough attention; my mind wanders around too much these days.

I sigh again, soundly this time.

"Good evening!" I hear. I raise my stare, abandoning the reading. There he is: the one whose smile is so bright and shiny that it makes one's eyes ache. I can see his friendly face, he's a tall (but not much), beautiful young man. His eyes are dark and narrow; his skin is somewhat olive-colored, his straight midnight black hair falls all the way down his back and ends just below his waist.

"Good evening to you, my handsome young traveler" I answer playfully. I know it's not appropriate, but I can't help myself. "What can this humble servant of Athena do for you?"

He keeps smiling, and I can tell the idea of following my game seems amusing to him. "I was looking for my brother," he says. "I was told that to find him, I had to look for the fairest woman in the surroundings of the Sanctuary. Then, I must have approached the right way."

His eyes, completely healed now, are showing too much mischief. To flirt with the beloved brother of my own beloved: not a good idea. Not even in a frivolous way, so I decide it's time to drop the folly. "What happened to you, Shiryu?" I ask him, a pretentious little laugh escaping from my lips. "You used to be such a proper boy."

"Time, suffering, happiness… Life, I suppose," he answers in mock thoughtfulness. "And, what can I do if you're showing me the most remarkable view in the whole Mediterranean? My eyes are working just fine at the present time, you should know by now," he mumbles, not trying to dissemble his amusement.

For the love of all the Gods that are at least aware of us, pitiful mortals! How can he be such a brute? I pull my dress down. So, yes: just suddenly I'm conscious of the bareness of my legs, any problem? Oh great! Now I'm blushing furiously. All I can do for the sake of keeping a bit of dignity is to give Shiryu my patented stare of endless indignation. "I absolutely missed the moment when you became fresh!" Oh Gods! Now he's laughing his ass off at me!

"Father! Father!"

A cheerful yell is my welcomed savior, and it comes from the small boy running excitedly towards Shiryu. He's too cute to be only seven years old; and certainly will be as handsome as his dad. He's wearing his traditional Chinese outfit, with the round cap and everything. His black braid bounces on his back as he runs to my side, he holds in his tiny hand what's left of an improvised bouquet. I can't help the smile that is widening my lips. "Nei-ho-má, aunt Shaina!" the little boy's greeting. "Here," he says, handing me the flowers, "I picked them for you!" My heart is melting; all of the father's impertinence is forgiven in favor of his gift to the world in the shape of this wondrous creature.

"Oh, thank you very much!" I cry. "You are such a wonderful young gentleman." I turn back to face Shiryu, I can feel my eyebrows touching each other. "Just the same your dad, if I recall correctly, used to be. But that was many… many years ago".

Shiryu laughs loudly. His laugh is the one of a man contented by his life, but also like the dragon's roar: nothing but pure in its might… and music to my ears. Even now that he's making fun of a helpless woman.

Yeah, sure… I can't fool him, or myself. He doesn't think of me as helpless and I thank him for that. I respect and admire him, he knows well. He knows too much about me… all of them do. They know how my pride fell to the ground because I love their younger brother so much. They know how my fallen pride was crushed. And he, more than anyone, knows how his perfect happy life is the living image of what to me is as good as forbidden. All because I live in sin: I defied my duty, my fate. I tried to steal the heart of a Saint that cannot be mine because he belongs to Her, always has, always will. And I'm jealous of a Goddess, and I feel envy against her and against her Saints…

I used to envy June as well, even while my sin was also hers. We both loved men that cannot love us entirely; neither could we give ourselves wholly to them. But I envied her because she lived her life in ease, never letting torment take over her heart. I believed she was a better woman, a better Saint of Athena than I could ever be. And I envied her because she had a little girl to brighten her days, that she even shared with me. She shared everything good in her life with me, and I loved her, and I envied her… so much. Now I'm grieving for her, a remorseful, selfish grief. A sinner I am… and my sin is eating me from inside, ending me.

Shiryu does know I may be self-destructive but never one to be pitied, for I made my choices and I'm holding to them. He's just being good at preventing the awkwardness between us… and I'm grateful. Yet, it doesn't change the fact that it stings like a stab in the stomach.

The little boy is staring with a frown at his father, and I smile. I know he can't put his finger on why, but he's certain that his mother wouldn't approve this kind of behavior. He's so smart, at such a young age. Just as I said: like father, like son.

I rise from my chair: my time to speak. The beautiful young men are waiting for my words, and giving me that shimmering set of smiles. "Come in and tell me about Sunrei," I hear myself saying out loud. "I'll give the two of you something to drink. I'm expecting Seiya to be home any moment now, then we can have supper."

They nod at me, delighted by my suggestion. What a beautiful pair they are, and how lucky for having each other. The stinging pain crawls up to my chest, but on its way it turns into soothing warmth that wraps over my heart. Maybe this… what I'm feeling now, is not envy. Maybe my feelings are changing into something a little more sensible, after all.


	4. Laziness

Hey everybody! It's been a while since I updated Sacrifice, but it doesn't mean I don't have plans for this story anymore. This chapter has been 'almost done' for maybe a year but I needed to be sure about some things before posting it. I know I'm being difficult and maybe I'm just complicating myself with this, but mostly it's about giving you guys the best I can come up with.

So, I hope you enjoy this one.

Ah, and… to the ones who are waiting for an update of Compassion, sorry for making you guys wait, I'm working on it, I promise!

Disclaimer: Nothing of Saint Seiya belongs to me, and that includes the Gold Saints. They all belong to Kurumada Sensei, and he is the only one with the power to bring the Goldies back to life… officially.

Meanwhile, a girl can dream…

**4. Laziness **

The sun is high above the house of Leo this beautiful, cloudless day. Everything bursts with life outside in the gardens. '_Worth a little walk'_ Marin says to herself. Loneliness is not a healthy thing, for many reasons, but only now she figures she has made an unattractive habit of talking to herself.

Not good. It was acceptable when she talked to him all the time, _which is not (as she often reminds to herself) the same as talking alone_. That's why she likes to stay at the House of Leo: even after all these years, the essence of his cosmo remains. Here is where she can hear his voice most clearly, and in her slumber she could swear she feels his touch, and hears the whisper of his agile movements. That's why she likes to sleep at noon: at that time, when the sun is high, her sleep is neither deep nor restful. It is then that she can talk to him, and she can see his sun-tanned face, and explore with the tips of her fingers the curls falling over his brow. She doesn't know anymore the difference between dreams and reality, and sometimes she forgets he's no longer walking among mortals.

_So, what is the difference__?_ As long as she can talk to him, it doesn't matter if she's wandering around through the ancient walls while her mind was left somewhere else.

She prefers to be insane but not alone.

_Not alone… but there's no company inside the boundaries of the Sanctuary. It's hard to take care of an abandoned place, but it would be impossible if it wasn't for Athena. __Even if no one ever sees her, somehow her presence keeps the walls from falling and the thieves from trespassing. _

So, a beautiful day it is, although she decides to sleep it through. She walks inside the sleeping chamber, and smiles as she remembers that she never entered here when the house was being occupied by its Lord. Now she barely can tell the difference from before and after his departure. She can't help the other eleven houses from being invaded by unwanted ghosts and solitude… But not this one: as long as his essence chooses not to leave, she will keep the house alive.

She lays her body down and snuggles, closes her eyes, waiting. The chamber has many big windows, for the Master of the house is a child of the Sun, and the light is welcomed at every hour. She waits for the warmth to enter from the western wing, maybe then he will come. So she sleeps, it would be a pity if she missed him because her senses were distracted by the illusion of consciousness.

The warm rays fall on her golden skin, and she smiles contentedly. This light has his scent, but she won't peek until hearing his voice.

So, it comes…

"Lazy, lazy woman" the words she can hear at her side are rhythmic like a children's refrain. "When did you become such a sleepyhead? Who would believe you once were the incarnation of restlessness?"

"Oh, shut up, Aioria", she answers playfully. "It's your entire fault. This is the only way I can see you, you know it."

She turns to her side, looking at him. He looks like (she would think, if she hadn't seen her own brother and the others) a creature from heaven must be, all sunbathed and glittery. "I do. Do you really want me to shut up? 'Cause I could..."

"Of course not," she answers matter-of-factly, "but there's no need to call me _lazy._"

"But that's what you are," he says, "And you know you shouldn't be taking too much sun. You'll get boils and wrinkles all over your skin!" He cocks his head and rolls his eyes. "Of course you won't listen, you never do."

She rolls her eyes too. "So, it seems like today is 'Scold Marin Day'. Sorry, I guess it slipped my mind."

"It's always my girl's day to me!" He sings. His smile is soft and loving; his stare is both brave and tender. He brushes away a curl from her forehead. "Again," he asks, "why did I never see your face before I died?"

"I was young and foolish, I guess…" she answers, "I had lots of responsibilities, so did you. We had no time for distractions, you already know that."

"Yes… I do. I like to ask, though." He shifts his weight over his back, pillowing his head on his crossed arms, staring at the ceiling. "Maybe I wish there was a different answer... Anyway, you have even more responsibilities now. You have them all, actually! Now it's like there were just the two of you."

"The two of us?" Marin pulls her body to her side, reclining over her elbow so she can face him.

"Yeah, Athena and yourself. She: the Goddess, you: the last of the Silver Saints. And without us Gold Saints in the way, you are the one with the highest rank. Even if there's no army to lead. Well… I don't have to tell you… I mean, you already know."

"I do, although I wish someday you'll come out with a different explanation," she whispers, tracing his brows with her fingertips.

"Clever girl, no argument."

"Ah, and you forgot about Shaina, she's a Silver Saint too." She sits up, cheery.

"Retired to the ol' housewife life. I'm not counting her." He sighs. "I would think of you more suitable to establish a regular life, she used to be so full of herself, all 'oh-you-better-fear-me-cause-I'm-so-badass-and-strong'."

"She fell in love. She was given with the chance of being with the one she loves. She did the right thing."

"Think so?"

"Yes, of course"

"And what about you?" he asks, softly. "You cared for him too."

"Seiya? He was all I had, my masterwork, and I did ok, didn't I? Now he has his life, sort of, and I'm happy for him." She lies down again, sighing. "There was only one Saint I had eyes for, you kn-"

"-Yes, I do."

"Anyway", Marin says, "I don't think she's retired. Shaina, I mean."

"She's not?" he asks, raising both eyebrows.

"I believe it is all part of Athena's plan, and Shaina's work is to look after the boys. Especially Seiya, the others are fine by themselves. Or at least they were… Shun is not doing very well this days…"

"So I've heard…" he nods.

"You did? How? Are you spying on us? Is that a nasty ghost thing… trait, that you're picking from the far beyond?" She asks playfully.

"Ghost thing?" Aioria asks, puzzled. Then he breaks into a hearty laugh. "Oh, my… you are not capable of being serious, are you? We're talking about the boy's life here."

"Sorry," she suppresses a chuckle. "Ehem… what did you hear?"

"Well, basically… his girl is missing, and now he has to look after his kid by himself… and he's not in the best shape for the task."

"That's it?" she asks, evidently disappointed.

"What, there's something else?"

She breathes, heavily "well, he also kind of went wild, he… evaporated –for lack of a better word- all his attackers in a burst of rage…" She regrets what having to tell him; there are things that better remain unsaid. "We are… more or less afraid he…"

"Killed her? No, not a chance."

His conviction takes her aback, how can he say… "She was nowhere to be found," she says with a hiss.

"Still, I don't think she's dead," he looks serious, so she decides there's no way he can be joking about this.

"How?"

"Don't you think I would know?"

She's less amused every minute. _Damn, Aioria… what is your game? _"Because you have not seen her in the realm of the dead?"

"Yep!"

Marin's head fall to a side, her eyes are filled with tears. "Oh, Gods! This is insane," she whispers.

Now it's his turn to be puzzled. "Why the sorrow? Don't you believe me?"

She tries to turn her stare from him, but her features do nothing to hide how much she is hurting. "As far as I know, you're speaking only in my head."

He looks away from her. "After all this time, you still don't believe I'm really here…"

Marin remains silent for a moment, then she turns her teary eyes to him. "How could I?" She can see in his eyes how his heart is breaking before her, she doesn't know what to think, and she can't say a word.

Aioria is a ghost, and ghosts are not supposed to talk to people like he talks to Marin. _Well_, he thinks, _she has a point_. He is a ghost, but still a Saint of Athena, and among his obligations, he has to assist in any matter that makes the Goddess worry. The time has come for him to make an intervention at the same time he demonstrates his existence to the Aquila Saint. "I can prove it," he says, almost inaudible.

"Prove what?" Marin asks.

"That I'm real," he says, softening his features, "I mean, not an invention of your pretty red head. As real as any dead man talking can be."

Marin breathes out with a chuckle; her tearful eyes are starting to overflow. "Please do".

"Well, I do know a couple of things. Not much, it's not like being dead suddenly gives you the whole picture."

Marin rises again to a sitting stance, her stare heavy over the Leo Saint. Her heart aches to the possibility of being in his actual presence; her mind spins to the prospect of acquiring vital information. You are not supposed to find out things this way, the Gods will be angry… but it's not like they had lots of choices... "Please, Aioria, tell me what you know." Her voice trembles to the intensity of her thoughts, and the implications of this supposedly impossible conversation.

Aioria stays silent for a few seconds, measuring his words. "What I know I cannot tell you, but I can give you a lead."

Marin hardened her brow. "You can't tell me? Why? What could they do to you… whoever is behind this whole madness?"

"Not much," he answers calmly, "I'm not the one who should make you concerned."

She sighs in defeat, "Then say the riddle, so I can seek for the answer."

He gets up to face her and then pulls her into his embrace, smoothing her hair with his fingers while her head rests on his shoulder. She closes her eyes, overwhelmed by the warmth of his cosmo. It is wrapping her, forcing her away from consciousness… and she can do nothing to fight him.

"It is time for you to wake up, my dear, brave Saint," he whispers to her ear. "You have to come around and look for the ones that are missing. You must make sure they all gather again here at the Sanctuary. Athena needs you… all of you."

She can feel as his presence starts to fade, "Don't leave me…" she sighs.

"I won't. Fear nothing, for when you feel the kiss of sunrays on your skin, you will think of me."

She drifts into darkness, feeling his voice and his warmth dissipate in the air. She can feel the chilly breeze of the late afternoon, but she's afraid to open her eyes and find herself alone in a gloomy room. She stays still for a while, recalling, putting her thoughts together.

She has a new lead, a mission now. She realizes how long it's been since she knew what to do, even if she doesn't know exactly how. She is brave, he said… and she is clever. She will find a way; she will find what she needs to know.

Her face hides behind a silver mask once again, so no one can tell she's wearing a contented smile.

She's a soldier, and duty calls.

_No more time to sleep…_


End file.
